Petition asks Richard Kelly to read prison screenplay

More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from  Richard Kelly (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system

Richard Kelly – Talent Agents
– Writer, Producer, Director – Donnie Darko (2001), Southland Tales (2006), The Box (2009), Domino (2005) – William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment – Brian Young, Brian Young

Dumbass, Corpus Christi, Amicus, Soulmates

Richard Kelly & Adam Sandler’s film company targeted by Texas petition

Will Hollywood just rollover and let prisoner’s suffer?

EXCLUSIVE

More than 2000 women have signed an open letter to Adam Sandler calling on Richard Kelly and Hollywood to take “movie action” to tackle injustice against men and women in the wake of revelations that Texas has more prisoners incarcerated than the Soviet Union’s gulag system had. Texas currently has over 290,000 inmates housed at 580 facilities.

The signatories, including state senators, professors of criminal justice, social workers, family, and inmates, call for a “firm commitment” to tackle the unjust prisons in Texas. The petition has also been signed by Beto O’Rourke, and Matthew McConaughey. These two signatories might face each other in the 2022 Texas governors election. Both have expressed interest in the job.  The petitions arrived for Richard Kelly at William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment last week.

In the open letter to Richard Kelly, the 2080 women write that they are “heartbroken for first-time drug offenders many times addicts who have received extremely harsh sentences in Texas when rehabilitation has proven a cheaper and more effective solution.”  The petition goes on to say their family and friends are often heartbroken for and looking for redemption and rehabilitation for the victimless drug crimes.”

The signatories, including attorneys, professors, politicians, family members, and inmates, call on Richard Kelly for a ‘firm film commitment’ to tackle the issue of operating the Texas prison system for profit.

The petition came to light when women discovered the screenplay, a copy which was dontated to all 580 of the state’s prison and jail libraries. The existence of the petition surfaced on International Women’s Day. Women in Texas face extreme prejudice in Texas and often receive extremely harsh penalties for even a small amount of drugs, including marijuana. Marijuana is legal now in 21 states.

Inside prisons, the women are faced with such horrendous conditions… the petition demands that “filmmakers begin to take the issue seriously.”  Also, the petition reminds that “even here in the USA in the 21st century citizens are not safe from government oppression.”

Writer, Producer, Director, Richard Kelly, has not responded to the petition. Nor has William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment responded with a comment.

Alan Nafzger/caption]

The screenplay “Dumbass” was penned by writer and retired professor of political science Alan Nafzger.

The premise of the story is that, “Adam Sandler writes letters and saves numerous women from the monotony of prison life, and later when he gets into trouble with a drug cartel they return the favor by rescuing him.”

The film would be set in contemporary, Gatesville Texas. There are four women’s prisons located in Gatesville. And of course, Texas is famous for putting everyone in prison for a long sentences for little or no reason. The number of women in Texas prisons has tripled in the last ten years, as mass incarcerations have proven profitable to not only the state but also profitable for an array of business interests.

Writer Alan Nafzger has called on Governor Greg Abbott to, “end the prison industry.”

Recently, “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak spoke out against the Texas system and put a good word in for mercy and forgiveness out on social media. “How nice for those who have lived such exemplary lives that they can express glee when others have their lives ruined by a mistake, real or perceived,” Sajak tweeted last month.

During the winter’s deep freeze, the The Marshall Project, exposed the horrible prison conditions, “Inside Frigid Texas Prisons: Broken Toilets, Disgusting Food, Few Blankets.”

The petition states, “Why don’t we have the ‘Adam Sandler’ character… sending letters to women in prison and being their friend and trying to help them adjust, giving them hope… and when they get out of prison he picks them up so they don’t have to ride the smelly bus back home… but his pickup truck is a junker, smoking and sputtering … worse than the bus. But his heart is in the right place… He’s the last “chivalrous” man on earth.”

Richard Kelly has not commented on the script, thus far. A statement is expected soon.

Professor Nafzger has made a short treatment of the project available online.

He has made the finished script available at for select filmmakers.

Adam Sandler of Happy Madison Productions has expressed interest in the screenplay.

Richard Kelly is a Writer, Producer, Director known for Donnie Darko (2001), Southland Tales (2006), The Box (2009), Domino (2005) and is represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment.

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Screenwriters are focused on creating identifiable heroes. Producers are focused on a hero they can sell to an A-list actor or name talent. If the role isn’t strong enough, the producer won’t be able to attach talent and secure funding. Screenwriters should be asking, “Will the character attract an A-list actor to the role?” Even if the film is headed to an indie, cable or art-house market, most require recognizable talent, especially in the lead role, before the project can sell.

CREATING COMMERCIAL CHARACTERS

CHAPTER FOUR – CHARACTERS

For those who’ve written a short based on a spec feature-film script. I’d advise to include in the contract that the director (or producer) understands the short is based on a copyrighted feature-film script that would be produced should the film become a feature-length production. Be sure the filmmaker knows this when you first submit the short. Add this information to the cover page – ‘Based on the feature-length script ABC’.

And sometimes that’s really all there is to it: one final battle between the protagonist and antagonist. In which case some good revelatory twists are probably required!

THE ESSENCE OF A THIRD ACT IS THE FINAL SHOWDOWN BETWEEN PROTAGONIST AND ANTAGONIST

All right, let’s look at these more closely.

· CLOSING IMAGE: Which is often a variation of the Opening Image